Jersey City officials’ deal with Goya was a “new low,” says Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli in a statement. Jersey City admits in its ordinance memorializing the tax deal that, without it, it would have lost revenue from the Meadowlands District’s tax-sharing program, Gonnelli notes.

“Jersey City, in essence, required the district's paying municipalities to underwrite Jersey City's generous tax exemption provided to Goya,” writes Secaucus General Counsel Anthony D’Elia in a March 12 letter to the state Department of Community Affairs.

D’Elia asks in the letter that the state should adjust the revenue Jersey City receives from the tax-sharing program to reflect what it would get from Goya absent the tax break.

Gonnelli is an open critic of the tax-sharing program, which was established in 1973 and includes 14 municipalities in Hudson and Bergen counties. The program funnels revenue from municipalities that have developed in portions of the Meadowlands to those that face development restrictions.

In 2013, Secaucus is expected to pay $2.7 million, while Jersey City is expected to receive about $1.1 million. Secaucus pays the most of the 14 Meadowlands District municipalities, while Jersey City receives more than any other besides Kearny.

Jersey City granted the 20-year tax abatement worth about $8 million to Goya in November 2011 to lure the Spanish foods giant about one mile away from its current home in Secaucus.

That deal was on top of a roughly $80 million state tax break Goya received to remain in New Jersey. A state report says the Goya deal will result in nine new jobs.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city granted the Goya tax deal in an “open and transparent” fashion. Jersey City has always been a “good neighbor” to Secaucus, but its foremost obligation is to its own taxpayers, Morrill said.

“Secaucus certainly knew about -- and initially applauded -- this highly publicized transaction, and we had no information indicating that Secaucus was unaware of the project's impact on its own tax base,” she said.